Don’t Carry Out Repair Works, Niger Delta Avengers Warns ExxonMobil

*Asks company to admit pipeline was blown up

*We don’t have militants, Orogun community

By Sylvester Idowu in Warri

Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), the militant group claiming responsibility for various pipeline bombings in the Niger Delta, has warned ExxonMobil not to repair its vandalised Qua Iboe terminal blasted by its operatives last Monday.

The group warned in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Mudoch Agbinibo, that if they make any attempt to repair the terminal, something worse will happen.

“We are warning Exxonmobil not to carry out any repair work on the blown pipeline. If they refuse and go ahead with any repair work, something big and worst (sic) will happen”, it warned.

The Niger Delta Avengers had last Monday night claimed that it breached Qua Iboe 48″ crude oil terminal operated by ExxonMobil in Akwa Ibom State.

It claimed in a statement then that the attack was carried out about 7.30 p.m. for alleged refusal to yield to its directive not to effect repairs on any breached facility.

Reacting swiftly to the NDA claim, Exxon Mobil Corp said that no attacks had taken place on its facilities.

“There were no attacks on our facilities,” said spokesman Todd Spitler.

But the militant group said yesterday that it was aware of plan by ExxonMobil to carry out repairs having claimed “system anomaly”.

“When we published the Que Iboe 48-inches crude oil export line was blown by us (Niger Delta Avengers) ExxonMobil denied it, but now ExxonMobil has admitted that the 48” pipeline we (Niger Delta Avengers) blow up is “System Anomaly”, it added.

The Niger Delta Avengers urged the oil company to admit its terminal was blown up, stressing that its refusal was none of the militants’ business.

Further details later